Graceling fell into my lap at an odd time in my reading "schedule". I had just finished a book I had really enjoyed, and I wasn't quite ready for another heavy subject. So, a palette cleanser was what we found! At the time, my local library had just started loaning eBooks (of course, eInk can never replace the printed page in either quality or emotional value, but I do love my eReader), and Graceling ended up being my first experience with the new system.
Graceling starts slow. In fact, it was probably around a hundred pages before I truly got "into" the book. For anyone unfamiliar with the story but who doesn't want an extensive description, Graceling centers around (what else?) gracelings who are semi-magical human beings that are either born with or develop "graces" - unique powers or abilities that go beyond that of a normal citizens. These graces emerge when a graceling's eyes settle into two different colors (generally being two unusual colors, like my favorite character - Po). Graces can range from fighting to cooking and everything in between, but they are all indebted to do the bidding of their region's king until he says otherwise. Katsa, the king's niece, grows into a seemingly violent and deadly grace when one eye settles into a vibrant green and the other into a bright sky blue, and she has to work against her own intuitions and instincts to figure out who she is as a person under the oppression of her overbearing uncle. Until they started fleshing out the concept and depth of "graces" I really could have taken or left the story, but sticking with Katsa and the gang made the journey well worth it.
That being said, Fire, its pseudo-sequel, immediately draws you in to the characters and environment. This is, of course, wonderful in any book, but it's a bit unusual in this case because the "world" is entirely different from the first book in the series. In fact, there is only one character that "follows" (or precedes?) from Graceling. Thankfully, to me, he was one of the most intriguing characters, but it's something to consider when picking up the book if that type of sudden change isn't the kind of plot you enjoy. It also makes the full leap into a fantasy genre.
I feel that Graceling had more of a message - maybe a better story(?) - and showed more of a personal struggle, but I found Fire to be a better executed book. There are a lot of people that might disagree with that statement, and I could understand why. Ultimately, though, the great thing about this series (with the exception of Bitterblue, which is the last book and one I have yet to read) is that you can really start reading anywhere. If you begin with Fire, you'll end up having more of a background to one of the more interesting characters, almost like a prequel, but you may not appreciate the "reveal" of information as much as if you had the "surprise" of learning those points later. In the same way, if you start with Graceling, you may have to really chew at the first hundred pages or so, but you'll have more of a foundation to enjoy the rest of the series (and, certainly, the third book) which seems to be set in the same world.
I still find myself wondering why these books are a part of the same series, as they are set in entirely different worlds and tied so loosely together, but, never the less, this is an excellect YA series. I would definitely recommend it if you're either in the target audience (around 15 - 18 years old) or looking for something purely plot-driven for some meaty entertainment. I imagine everything gets pulled together in the trilogy's final installment, and I look forward to reading it soon!
**This post was original featured on The Powdered Plum.**
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